the story of mankind-第67章

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In　September　of　1791；　the　first　constitution　of　France　was

accepted；　and　the　members　of　the　National　Assembly　went

home。　On　the　first　of　October　of　1791；　the　legislative　assembly

came　together　to　continue　the　work　of　the　National

Assembly。　In　this　new　gathering　of　popular　representatives

there　were　many　extremely　revolutionary　elements。　The

boldest　among　these　were　known　as　the　Jacobins；　after　the　old

Jacobin　cloister　in　which　they　held　their　political　meetings。

These　young　men　（most　of　them　belonging　to　the　professional

classes）　made　very　violent　speeches　and　when　the　newspapers

carried　these　orations　to　Berlin　and　Vienna；　the　King　of

Prussia　and　the　Emperor　decided　that　they　must　do　something

to　save　their　good　brother　and　sister。　They　were　very　busy

just　then　dividing　the　kingdom　of　Poland；　where　rival　political

factions　had　caused　such　a　state　of　disorder　that　the　country

was　at　the　mercy　of　anybody　who　wanted　to　take　a　couple　of

provinces。　But　they　managed　to　send　an　army　to　invade

France　and　deliver　the　king。



Then　a　terrible　panic　of　fear　swept　throughout　the　land

of　France。　All　the　pent…up　hatred　of　years　of　hunger　and

suffering　came　to　a　horrible　climax。　The　mob　of　Paris　stormed

the　palace　of　the　Tuilleries。　The　faithful　Swiss　bodyguards

tried　to　defend　their　master；　but　Louis；　unable　to　make　up　his

mind；　gave　order　to　‘‘cease　firing''　just　when　the　crowd　was

retiring。　The　people；　drunk　with　blood　and　noise　and　cheap

wine；　murdered　the　Swiss　to　the　last　man；　then　invaded　the

palace；　and　went　after　Louis　who　had　escaped　into　the　meeting

hall　of　the　Assembly；　where　he　was　immediately　suspended　of

his　office；　and　from　where　he　was　taken　as　a　prisoner　to　the

old　castle　of　the　Temple。



But　the　armies　of　Austria　and　Prussia　continued　their　advance

and　the　panic　changed　into　hysteria　and　turned　men　and

women　into　wild　beasts。　In　the　first　week　of　September　of

the　year　1792；　the　crowd　broke　into　the　jails　and　murdered　all

the　prisoners。　The　government　did　not　interfere。　The　Jacobins；

headed　by　Danton；　knew　that　this　crisis　meant　either　the

success　or　the　failure　of　the　revolution；　and　that　only　the　most

brutal　audacity　could　save　them。　The　Legislative　Assembly

was　closed　and　on　the　21st　of　September　of　the　year　1792；　a

new　National　Convention　came　together。　It　was　a　body　composed

almost　entirely　of　extreme　revolutionists。　The　king　was

formally　accused　of　high　treason　and　was　brought　before　the

Convention。　He　was　found　guilty　and　by　a　vote　of　361　to　360

（the　extra　vote　being　that　of　his　cousin　the　Duke　of　Orleans）

he　was　condemned　to　death。　On　the　21st　of　January　of　the

year　1793；　he　quietly　and　with　much　dignity　suffered　himself

to　be　taken　to　the　scaffold。　He　had　never　understood　what　all

the　shooting　and　the　fuss　had　been　about。　And　he　had　been　too

proud　to　ask　questions。



Then　the　Jacobins　turned　against　the　more　moderate　element

in　the　convention；　the　Girondists；　called　after　their　southern

district；　the　Gironde。　A　special　revolutionary　tribunal　was

instituted　and　twenty…one　of　the　leading　Girondists　were

condemned　to　death。　The　others　committed　suicide。　They　were

capable　and　honest　men　but　too　philosophical　and　too　moderate

to　survive　during　these　frightful　years。



In　October　of　the　year　1793　the　Constitution　was

suspended　by　the　Jacobins　‘‘until　peace　should　have　been

declared。''　All　power　was　placed　in　the　hands　of　a　small　committee

of　Public　Safety；　with　Danton　and　Robespierre　as　its

leaders。　The　Christian　religion　and　the　old　chronology　were

abolished。　The　‘‘Age　of　Reason''　（of　which　Thomas　Paine　had

written　so　eloquently　during　the　American　Revolution）　had

come　and　with　it　the　‘‘Terror''　which　for　more　than　a　year　killed

good　and　bad　and　indifferent　people　at　the　rate　of　seventy　or

eighty　a　day。



The　autocratic　rule　of　the　King　had　been　destroyed。　It

was　succeeded　by　the　tyranny　of　a　few　people　who　had　such　a

passionate　love　for　democratic　virtue　that　they　felt　compelled

to　kill　all　those　who　disagreed　with　them。　France　was　turned

into　a　slaughter　house。　Everybody　suspected　everybody　else。

No　one　felt　safe。　Out　of　sheer　fear；　a　few　members　of　the　old

Convention；　who　knew　that　they　were　the　next　candidates　for

the　scaffold；　finally　turned　against　Robespierre；　who　had

already　decapitated　most　of　his　former　colleagues。　Robespierre；

‘‘the　only　true　and　pure　Democrat；''　tried　to　kill　himself

but　failed　His　shattered　jaw　was　hastily　bandaged　and

he　was　dragged　to　the　guillotine。　On　the　27th　of　July；　of　the

year　1794　（the　9th　Thermidor　of　the　year　II；　according　to　the

strange　chronology　of　the　revolution）；　the　reign　of　Terror　came

to　an　end；　and　all　Paris　danced　with　joy。



The　dangerous　position　of　France；　however；　made　it　necessary

that　the　government　remain　in　the　hands　of　a　few　strong

men；　until　the　many　enemies　of　the　revolution　should　have　been

driven　from　the　soil　of　the　French　fatherland。　While　the

half…clad　and　half…starved　revolutionary　armies　fought　their

desperate　battles　of　the　Rhine　and　Italy　and　Belgium　and

Egypt；　and　defeated　every　one　of　the　enemies　of　the　Great

Revolution；　five　Directors　were　appointed；　and　they　ruled

France　for　four　years。　Then　the　power　was　vested　in　the　hands

of　a　successful　general　by　the　name　of　Napoleon　Bonaparte；

who　became　‘‘First　Consul''　of　France　in　the　year　1799。　And

during　the　next　fifteen　years；　the　old　European　continent　became

the　laboratory　of　a　number　of　political　experiments；　the

like　of　which　the　world　had　never　seen　before。







NAPOLEON



NAPOLEON





NAPOLEON　was　born　in　the　year　1769；　the　third　son

of　Carlo　Maria　Buonaparte；　an　honest　notary　public　of

the　city　of　Ajaccio　in　the　island　of　Corsica；　and　his　good

wife；　Letizia　Ramolino。　He　therefore　was　not　a　Frenchman；

but　an　Italian　whose　native　island　（an　old　Greek；　Carthaginian

and　Roman　colony　in　the　Mediterranean　Sea）　had

for　years　been　struggling　to　regain　its　independence；

first　of　all　from　the　Genoese；　and　after　the　middle　of　the

eighteenth　century　from　the　French；　who　had　kindly　offered

to　help　the　Corsicans　in　their　struggle　for　freedom　and　had

then　occupied　the　island　for　their　own　benefit。



During　the　first　twenty　years　of　his　life；　young　Napoleon

was　a　professional　Corsican　patriota　Corsican　Sinn　Feiner；

who　hoped　to　deliver　his　beloved　country　from　the　yoke　of　the

bitterly　hated　French　enemy。　But　the　French　revolution　had

unexpectedly　recognised　the　claims　of　the　Corsicans　and　gradually

Napoleon；　who　had　received　a　good　training　at　the　military

school　of　Brienne；　drifted　into　the　service　of　his　adopted　country。

Although　he　never　learned　to　spell　French　correctly　or

to　speak　it　without　a　broad　Italian　accent；　he　became　a　Frenchman。

In　due　time　he　came　to　stand　as　the　highest　expression

of　all　French　virtues。　At　present　he　is　regarded　as　the　symbol

of　the　Gallic　genius。



Napoleon　was　what　is　called　a　fast　worker。　His　career

does　not　cover　more　than　twenty　years。　In　that　short　span

of　time　he　fought　more　wars　and　gained　more　victories　and

marched　more　miles　and　conquered　more　square　kilometers　and

killed　more　people　and　brought　about　more　reforms　and　generally

upset　Europe　to　a　greater　extent　than　anybody　（including

Alexander　the　Great　and　Jenghis　Khan）　had　ever　managed

to　do。



He　was　a　little　fellow　and　during　the　first　years　of　his　life

his　health　was　not　very　good。　He　never　impressed　anybody

by　his　good　looks　and　he　remained　to　the　end　of　his　days　very

clumsy　whenever　he　was　obliged　to　appear　at　a　social　function。

He　did　not　enjoy　a　single　advantage　of　breeding　or　birth　or

riches。　For　the　greater　part　of　his　youth　he　was　desperately

poor　and　often　he　had　to　go　without　a　meal　or　was　obliged

to　make　a　few　extra　pennies　in　curious　ways。



He　gave　little　promise　as　a　literary　genius。　When　he　competed

for　a　prize　offered　by　the　Academy　of　Lyons；　his　essay

was　found　t